Strange fish species in Antarctica leaves scientists bewildered

Strange fish in Antarctica have special abilities.

Among the unique fish species, scientists have been fascinated by the Chaenocephalus aceratus and other genera in the family.Stonefish are puzzling because they are the only vertebrates to lack a functional hemoglobin gene. This means their bodies do not produce red blood cells that carry oxygen in their blood. As a result, their blood is a ghostly white color.

Basically, the fish survives in a state of constant anemia. Additionally, the stonefish has an oversized heart and its bones have very low mineral density.

If humans had these traits, a doctor would likely conclude that they were suffering from a disease or disorder. However, these traits are essential for the survival of the stonefish.

This stonefish diverged from the lineage that gave rise to sticklebacks about 77 million years ago. Since then, stonefish have acquired several important features.

For example, they have evolved the ability to produce proteins that act as a"antifreeze" that helps them survive when the Southern Ocean cools.

Stonefish have also lost many features over the course of their evolution, including genes related to circadian rhythms. These disappeared as stonefish adapted to an environment where summer and winter involved months of constant light or darkness.

According to a co-author of the study, John Postlethwait from the University of Oregon, investigating the icefish genome could even have implications for our understanding of the human body.

“Understanding how these traits arose over evolutionary time in stonefish could help us appreciate similar traits like osteoporosis, reduced blood cell production, circulatory problems, and obesity that arise in older humans during development,” said John Postlethwait.